Great part of Belgrade, Serbia
One of the nicest buildings in town
Farmland spread throughout the country
Awesome sunrise from my traincarFriday, November 19th
This morning I arrived into Belgrade, Serbia about 10:30am. It was a 12 hour train trip (as Serbia is one hour behind Bucharest). Not such great sleep on this train ride. All night people were walking around the train. There is no question my gear would have been stolen if not kept closely to me. At one point in the night, an old, bum-looking guy was being pushed into our car. I'm assuming he must have tried to take something and the people were pushing him away. Who knows - but it doesn't help to sooth the nerves for sleeping very soundly.
I did get to see an unbelievable sunrise out my train car this morning. I was laying down, with my headphones on, just watching the sun come up slowly over the farmlands of out-country Serbia. It was the best part of my day.
My goal on arrival was to get a train to Bar, Montenegro. However, I found out that the train I thought was going to depart at 1pm was only active during peak season. Next departure - 10pm. Well - I guess I'm going to spend the day in Belgrade.
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia (1.6 million people). It's the 4th largest city in southeastern Europe - behind Istanbul, Athens and Bucharest. That's about the same order I'd put them as far as my list goes for most-liked.
I walked around the city for a few hours. Some of the highlights included: Kalemegdan, the National Theatre, the Botanical Garden, and the city square. I was impressed with the number of parks spread throughout the city. The buildings and architectue were hit and miss - pending the area. I've read that some of the buildings were put up quickly in the past - resulting in poor lasting materials. You could also see some buildings with mass devastation - perhaps the results of the 1999 NATO bombings. This area has been in conflict for years. Serbia, Kosovo, and Alabania - have all been fighting for border rites. I've been referring to 'recommended travel' websites throughout my trip. Northern Kosovo and Northern Albania are termed: "No travel zones - unless absolutely necessary".
It's currently 6pm, I'm sitting at this outside cafe at the train station. My nerves are easing up a bit - a couple frosties have helped this. It just seems like I have to constantly watch my back. There's endless people approaching me --- from handouts, to salesmanship, to even little kids coming over and trying to hit my computer. I really just want people to leave me alone. I look up - and many folks are staring at me. I don't think it helps that I am the one and only tourist (perhaps in the entire city). I stick out - big time. Travelling in numbers can sometimes work in your advantage. During the summer - I can get lost in the shuffle - not now.
It's all good. The city turned out better than I had expected. I learned a lesson today. Just get out into the city - things will improve. I've recently been so turned off by areas around the train stations - I don't even venture out. That's not so good. Today, I was able to find an English-speaking information person - this helped me immensely.
Tonight, I take a 10pm overnight train to Bar, Montenegro. I'm excited to see this area along the coast. I'll spend Saturday in Bar (with maybe a day trip thrown into the mix), and then I'll fly to Milan on Sunday (21st). My sister comes into town on the 22nd - fired up.
Good night from Belgrade!
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